Pension Scammers Target People Who Want To Avoid IHT

GDB2222

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81993499#Comment_81993499

One of the reasons why life expectancy is so high in Japan is pensions fraud. Don’t report granny dying. Put her body in the freezer, and carry on drawing her pension.

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81993710#Comment_81993710

I initially thought you were repeating what might, at best, be a tall tale but the first result when I searched returned this article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11258071

Silvertabby

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81993717#Comment_81993717

Not on this scale, but the LGPS (and probably other public sector pension schemes) has several cases of ... Granny has her pension paid into a joint account with another family member, to make it easier for said family member to pay her bills/do her shopping. Granny dies, and family member 'forgets' to tell the LGPS.

horsewithnoname

if you’ve enough money to be liable for IHT, here’s an idea - let your estate pay it! You’ll be dead and beyond worrying about it.
If you would rather your heirs had it, give them now.
Not a bad problem to have in the grand scheme of things

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81993687#Comment_81993687

Or large charitable donations .

Silvertabby

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81995414#Comment_81995414

Sadly, probably on a par.

MarzipanCrumble

Death records are open to the public. I really cannot understand why these are not available as a daily download to all public services and also private firms. There obviously should be a 'death services department' with appropriate (sensitive) policies etc to deal with upset/taking advantage relatives.

Cleansing NHS records with deaths - done this, seen the problems - faulty data, mispelt names, persons dying abroad, to name but a few. However with AI …… and doing it will cut costs (and waiting lists).

MallyGirl

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81995663#Comment_81995663

the challenge there is the quality of the data. I used to work for a company that licenced cleansed mortality lists but the work to get them usable was significant.

Silvertabby

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81995603#Comment_81995603

Nothing to do with unlawful burials or not being buried at all, and all to do with nok continuing to receive pension benefits for a family member who has died.

Speaking with my ex LGPS hat on, the usual ways we were notified of the death of a pensioner were:

Phone call from NOK

Pension payment rejected by bank, as 'account closed'

DWP routine 'all points' notification, which weren't usually received until several months after the death.

The fraud cases are (eventually) picked up, then the pensions department are the bad guys for trying to claw back several hundreds - or thousands - of £s from a grieving family.

MarkCarnage

Most big schemes will now employ a tracing service to routinely check on pensioners over a certain age…or to follow up in more detail where there are clear suspicions. Scheme of which I am a Trustee had a case of over £20k being fraudulently claimed. Ultimately, Trustees will weigh up the cost/benefit or recovery…if it's fifty quid they won't bother, particularly if it's a genuine oversight. They will also be more relaxed about overpayment errors for small amounts where it's an error by scheme admin. They will stop the overpayments clearly, but will be careful about pursuing for past arrears particularly to elderly vulnerable people.